While studying the social behavior of primates in Africa, Japanese primatologists Mr. Gaku Ohashi and Professor Tetsuro Matsuzawa discovered that wild chimpanzees living in Bossou, Guinea have learned to recognize and deactivate snare traps set by human hunters.
More surprisingly, the scientists found that the chimps actually seek out these traps to deactivate them without being injured! This behavior has kept the Bassou population relatively safe, compared to many others where chimps are sadly hurt or killed in the snare traps.
The study also mentioned that the knowledge is passed down through generations, with one case where a juvenile male observed an adult male deactivating a snare before moving closer to handle it.
Our admiring salute, brave and intelligent chimps! Many thanks Mr. Gaku Ohashi and Professor Tesuro Matsuzawa for sharing this discovery as we pray that, in realizing the intelligence of our primate cousins, humanity will soon treasure and preserve their lives and those of all co-inhabitants.
Following the recent recall of half a billion eggs due to Salmonella infection, officials from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) state that many more people than the 1,500 known to have fallen ill have likely been sickened from eating the contaminated eggs.
West Nile virus takes toll in Greece. With 15 people who have succumbed to the disease, 39 are currently hospitalized, 9 of whom are in intensive care as the total number of cases rises to over 160. Most stem from areas in Macedonia that are in close proximity to lakes and rivers. Nearly all of the victims have suffered from the serious condition of encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain caused by the illness.
In response, the Greek government has allocated an additional €250,000 beyond the €300,000 initially pledged to help ensure prevention in the area. The West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and has become a growing health concern globally as its range widens with climate change.
Spokeswoman for Greece’s Hellenic Centre for the Control and Prevention of Diseases, Dr. Doritsa Bakka, noted that the spread of the disease had worsened from this year’s hot, wet summer that created ideal breeding grounds for the insects.
In a recent article published in the infectious disease journal “Eurosurveillance,” Italian researchers studying organ donors found to their surprise that certain serum samples testing positive for the virus originated in regions where infection previously wasn’t known to be a risk.
In a related “Eurosurveillance” editorial, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control warned that heightened monitoring and preparedness for West Nile virus is needed in Europe as human cases increase. We thank Dr. Bakka, the Hellenic Center for the Control and Prevention of Diseases, and the Greek government for your concerned alert about the increased vulnerability to this disease.
Our heartfelt prayers for the recovery of those suffering from the West Nile virus, and that we may speed our actions to halt climate change and restore the vitality of both humans and the Earth.
Speaking with concern for humanity’s welfare during a July 2008 videoconference with our Association members in Washington, USA, Supreme Master Ching Hai explained the most efficient way to curb such perils related to global warming.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: And some places may have more mental illness, and all kind of other illnesses, and diseases go where they have not been before even. Like mosquitoes, they migrate into different areas where they have not been before because the climate is warmer.
So it depends on how many people join the vegetarian diet. The more vegetarian people, the less killing of the animals, the more time we have to rescue the planet and the lives on the planet.
So everybody has to join to into the vegetarian diet, and stop the killing, stop the harm to other people and the animals and save energies every way possible and go green wherever possible. THEN WE STILL CAN SAVE THE PLANET
Âu Lạc (Vietnam) joins ASEAN program to protect biodiversity. Âu Lạc (Vietnam) has become the 6th and most recent member nation to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Wildlife Enforcement Network.
The goal of the program is to minimize and prevent illegal wildlife activities, including hunting, trafficking and product trade. Launching Âu Lạc’s corresponding Interagency Executive Committee for Wildlife Enforcement, the nation’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hứa Đức Nhị, stated that without protective action, more than 40% of wild fauna and flora in Southeast Asia may disappear in the next decade.
Âu Lạc is joining Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand in becoming part of ASEAN’s wildlife law enforcement network, currently the world's largest that brings together the efforts of international police, customs officials and environmental agencies.
Africa's growing humanitarian threat due to climate change. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the once-vast Lake Chad, has shrunk 90% over the past four decades, threatening the lives of up to 30 million people with hunger, conflict, and migration.
Residing in an area that forms a natural border for the countries of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, the surface area of the lake has gone from 25,000 square kilometers in 1960 to just 2,500 today, according to the Chadian government, which will be hosting the 8th World Forum for Sustainable Development in October with a theme of “Saving Lake Chad.”
Canadian Parliament Member Glen Pearson, who has been working to help Sudanese refugees since 1998, has been calling for climate change mitigation to prevent a large humanitarian catastrophe in the Lake Chad and other African regions.
With the support of the Canadian government, Mr. Pearson was among the first to assist the refugees emerging from the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, another region afflicted by water shortage, adopting three Sudanese orphans.
Glen Pearson – Canadian Member of Parliament, humanitarian, vegetarian (M): The people who are coming out of Darfur into the area in which we work, they're not complaining so much about the political situation. They complain that they can't find water. Lake Chad has dried up.
Just since we’ve started going there in 1998, the wells are now about six feet lower than they were before. Much of that water is polluted now, because the cattle come into the rivers.The rains are coming far later.
VOICE: According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), half of Lake Chad's shrinkage is due to climate change, and the other half by agricultural abuses including livestock overgrazing and unsustainable irrigation. With acute hunger already a serious problem in Chad and Niger, Mr. Pearson, a caring vegetarian, cautioned that the possibility of hundreds of millions of environmental refugees in Africa and beyond must be prevented through efforts to stop climate change, with the United Nations also urging better water management.
Glen Pearson (M): Not just in Africa but in Asia, over 200 million people will be traveling, moving. They are not going to know where the borders are. It doesn’t matter if I help them catch rain off of the roof, if, on the other hand, I am polluting into my own country, when it’s the people in Africa who suffer from me doing it.
If I really believe in helping the people of Africa, I will stop pumping carbon into the air because that’s the place where it affects the most; because in the end, that climate change will produce 230 million refugees and I am really scared about that.
VOICE: We appreciate Member of Parliament Glen Pearson, Canada and United Nations agencies, for your concerned wish to assist the African people. We pray that through such concerted actions to alleviate global warming and stabilize the environment, precious waters like Lake Chad may be restored.
Supreme Master Ching Hai has often reminded of the changes necessary for averting climate change and humanitarian crises, as in a September 2009 climate change videoconference in Peru.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Some countries and communities have to cope with worsened drought situations. Their rivers and lakes are drying up or completely gone. So how can we handle the mass migration of tens of millions of people all at once due to desertification, the rising sea levels or the permanent loss of crop fields?
The smartest way would be to stop the worsening of global warming by being vegan. It sounds very simple but it is the best solution, the most effective and the effect of it will be felt almost immediately.
When nine-year-old Richie Bragg of Ohio, USA encountered a swarm of bees in his yard, he was stung four times on his foot while running for the house. It was then that his young 18-week-old dog 'Pinky' came to the rescue by distracting and diverting the bees so that he could escape. Richie, who has a blood condition and could face medical emergency if he was stung further, made it back inside the house, while the swarm of bees stayed with Pinky.
Swollen all over from 40 bee stings, Pinky was rushed to the local animal hospital for treatment, and she is now nearly recovered. Crediting the boxer puppy for his rescue, Richie said, “Pinky, you really saved my life!”A big bravo Pinky for your courage and loyalty in diverting the bees to save your beloved human friend.
May you and Richie be fully restored to health and enjoy many years of cherished companionship together. For her self-sacrificing act of love, Supreme Master Ching Hai is honoring Pinky with the Shining World Hero Award along with US$200 for vegan snacks.
The UN World Health Organization reminds of the tobacco industry’s gender-specific advertising to attract women and girls toward the harmful habit, saying that officials should consider this when implementing tobacco control policies. http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/88/8/10-080747/en/index.html
West Nile virus takes toll in Greece. With 15 people who have succumbed to the disease, 39 are currently hospitalized, 9 of whom are in intensive care as the total number of cases rises to over 160. Most stem from areas in Macedonia that are in close proximity to lakes and rivers. Nearly all of the victims have suffered from the serious condition of encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain caused by the illness.
In response, the Greek government has allocated an additional €250,000 beyond the €300,000 initially pledged to help ensure prevention in the area. The West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and has become a growing health concern globally as its range widens with climate change.
Spokeswoman for Greece’s Hellenic Centre for the Control and Prevention of Diseases, Dr. Doritsa Bakka, noted that the spread of the disease had worsened from this year’s hot, wet summer that created ideal breeding grounds for the insects.
In a recent article published in the infectious disease journal “Eurosurveillance,” Italian researchers studying organ donors found to their surprise that certain serum samples testing positive for the virus originated in regions where infection previously wasn’t known to be a risk.
In a related “Eurosurveillance” editorial, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control warned that heightened monitoring and preparedness for West Nile virus is needed in Europe as human cases increase. We thank Dr. Bakka, the Hellenic Center for the Control and Prevention of Diseases, and the Greek government for your concerned alert about the increased vulnerability to this disease.
Our heartfelt prayers for the recovery of those suffering from the West Nile virus, and that we may speed our actions to halt climate change and restore the vitality of both humans and the Earth.
Speaking with concern for humanity’s welfare during a July 2008 videoconference with our Association members in Washington, USA, Supreme Master Ching Hai explained the most efficient way to curb such perils related to global warming.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: And some places may have more mental illness, and all kind of other illnesses, and diseases go where they have not been before even. Like mosquitoes, they migrate into different areas where they have not been before because the climate is warmer.
So it depends on how many people join the vegetarian diet. The more vegetarian people, the less killing of the animals, the more time we have to rescue the planet and the lives on the planet.
So everybody has to join to into the vegetarian diet, and stop the killing, stop the harm to other people and the animals and save energies every way possible and go green wherever possible. THEN WE STILL CAN SAVE THE PLANET
Âu Lạc (Vietnam) joins ASEAN program to protect biodiversity. Âu Lạc (Vietnam) has become the 6th and most recent member nation to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Wildlife Enforcement Network.
The goal of the program is to minimize and prevent illegal wildlife activities, including hunting, trafficking and product trade. Launching Âu Lạc’s corresponding Interagency Executive Committee for Wildlife Enforcement, the nation’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hứa Đức Nhị, stated that without protective action, more than 40% of wild fauna and flora in Southeast Asia may disappear in the next decade.
Âu Lạc is joining Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand in becoming part of ASEAN’s wildlife law enforcement network, currently the world's largest that brings together the efforts of international police, customs officials and environmental agencies.
2010 is the hottest year on record so far. This year is already on track to being the hottest in recorded history, according to climate scientists at the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
With July temperatures being reported as the second highest in history, the months of March, April, May, and June were each reported as the highest ever on record.
David Easterling of NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center also noted the unusual finding in June that land masses across the entire globe were warm.
Moreover, 17 countries, comprising 19% of the Earth’s total land area and including northern nations such as Finland and Russia, have set new records for the most oppressive heat.
This is the largest surface area of the planet to be experiencing such unprecedented temperatures in the same year. Remarking on these alarming numbers, Dr. Mark Serreze, Director of the US National Snow and Ice Data Center stated, “The point of the matter is that global warming has not stopped.”
Kevin Trenberth, head of the climate analysis section at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), further warned that in such conditions, we should prepare for increased tropical storms, saying, “The last time it was this warm was when we had the record-breaking hurricane season that led to Katrina and Rita, and we ran out of alphabet (characters).
This year the temperatures in the Atlantic are higher than they were in 2005.” Thank you all researchers and scientists for your detailed efforts to factually document the climate changes of our planet.
We pray that we may stop this dangerous cycle with our every effort to shift towards sustainable living. During a November 2009 videoconference in Mexico, Supreme Master Ching Hai spoke of such adverse global warming effects as temperature increases, highlighting at the same time an effective and swift way to reverse them.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Some of the global warming effects that we hear about are a continued rise in the Earth’s atmospheric temperature, warming of the ocean, along with acidification, more frequent and stronger storms, prolonged droughts and intensified heat waves, soil desertification, plant and animal extinctions, and even melting of permafrost, which could trigger massive releases of more methane gas! That would be catastrophic beyond an unthinkable scale.
But the livestock , that is the number one source of global warming worldwide; and methane is the primary greenhouse gas generated by livestock.
So, I repeat: The number one source of global warming is from our consumption – killing of all the cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, eggs, dairy. According to calculations they performed, they concluded that eating a vegan diet for a year is more effective at cooling the planet than driving a hybrid vehicle for the same period of time.
Another good news about this simple dietary solution is that methane, as a greenhouse gas, also dissipates quickly from the atmosphere. So, eliminating livestock production as this major source of methane is thus one of the fastest ways to cool our planet.
Environmental officials in India turn down a bauxite mining proposal by UK-based Vedanta Resources for the Niyamgiri Hills of Orissa state, saying that it could harm the environment and the mountains, which are sacred to indigenous Kondh Primitive Tribal Groups.
New research has revealed that, contrary to what many have believed, smoking does not relieve stress but in fact has the opposite effect. Scientists from the London School of Medicine and Dentistry in the United Kingdom observed the stress level of nearly 500 people as they tried to quit smoking after being diagnosed with a condition of heart disease.
They found that 41% of those who managed to stay smoke free a year later had significantly lower levels of stress compared to those who continued to smoke.
The researchers concluded that the smokers continued to deal with discomfort of cravings between cigarettes that would occur several times a day.
Those who were successful in quitting, on the other hand, faced initial discomfort but had greater freedom from nicotine cravings in the long term and thus had eliminated a significant source of stress.
We thank the London School of Medicine and Dentistry researchers for this study showing another detrimental aspect of smoking and that in actuality it does not relieve stress.
May we all work toward freedom from this harmful substance so that all beings can benefit from clean air and good health.
Effective September 1, 2010, legislation passed in July 2009 now prohibits smoking in nearly all public spaces in Greece, with individual violators facing fines and businesses the possibility of losing their license.
With the ban and its slogan “Stub out your cigarettes, add to your life,” the government is renewing its commitment to a smoke-free society.
As stated by Prime Minister Georges Papandreou, “(This measure) contributes to our goals ... of making the country more viable, not only economically but in daily life.”
Our heartfelt congratulations, Your Excellency and Greece for this decision to safeguard public health. May your noble initiative motivate similar measures that offer the vibrant well-being of tobacco-free lifestyles to fellow citizens across the globe.
US businessman and philanthropist Holland M. Ware has donated US$1.4 million to further PETA’s campaigns. In particular, US$1 million will go toward helping PETA put an end to cruel circus treatment of animals such as baby elephants through a campaign that seeks to raise awareness especially in young students.
Saying that he finds himself very upset to know of the animal mistreatment in industries such as circus entertainment, Mr. Ware said he is happy to be able to help provide PETA with more tools to halt such practices.
With other giving endeavors that include founding the Holland M. Ware Cancer Research Center at Emory University in Georgia, Mr. Ware has also set up a national hotline for people to report the inhumane activity of dogfighting. Heaven bless Mr. Holland Ware’s generosity and kind heart.
May the day soon come when animals and humans come together in love and respect as a family co-inhabiting our planet.
Greetings noble viewers, and welcome to The World Around Us. Five hundred years ago in the land of modern Pakistan, there once existed a great empire, the Mughal Empire. The Mughal, meaning “Mongolian” in Arabic and Persian, were descendants of Timur, the founder of the Timurid Empire. During the classical period of the Mughal Empire from 1556 to 1701, the empire reached the climax of its glory and left a rich legacy of literature, arts, and architecture.
In today’s episode, we’ll be visiting two mosques in Pakistan, the Shah Jahan Mosque and the Badshahi Mosque, built by the Mughal emperors Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb Alamgir, respectively. The architectural masterpieces of the Mughal Empire, including monuments, mosques, temples, gardens, etc., widely adapted Islamic forms such as domes and minarets. Yet, Mughal architecture remained flexible, incorporating local building traditions, as the empire was generally tolerant of other religions.
Eventually, Mughal architecture created an innovative style synthesizing elements from India, Timur, Persia, and even Europe. Of all the Mughal emperors, Shah Jahan was the greatest patron of Mughal architecture. Shah Jahan, or King of the World, revealed his sharpness and good memory since young. After he was crowned succeeding his father Jahangir in 1628, he named himself the Lord of the Auspicious Conjunctions, being proud of his Timurid heritage. He was also titled the Meteor of the Faith, as he was very religious. Shah Jahan faithfully visited the tomb of the Sufi saint Mu’in al-Din Chishti in Ajmer, India through the ups and downs till the end of his reign. As he governed the nation with justice, people revered Shah Jahan as a semi-divine king. He was always portrayed with a halo surrounding his face, sometimes with little angels above his head as well. By his feet, the lion and the lamb lay together as a sign of peace.
Indeed, under his reign, the empire enjoyed its greatest prosperity and stability. Under Shah Jahan, Mughal architecture achieved its classical zenith. The architectural style of this period showed symmetry, uniformity of shapes, balustrade columns, arched roofs, and elaborate detail. Most of them were characterized by white marble inlaid with stones. Shah Jahan’s most famous construction is the beautiful Taj Mahal, which is still considered a wonder of architecture today.
A long lasting cough, painful and sometimes producing blood, fever,
weight loss, night sweats, and chest pain. These are all symptoms of
tuberculosis, or TB, a bacterial disease which spreads by air. According to
World Health Organization, one third of the world population, which equals at
least two billion people, are carriers of tuberculosis bacilli. One out of ten
carriers may eventually develop and suffer from tuberculosis disease. If not treated properly, tuberculosis can be fatal. Indeed,
approximately one to two million people lose their lives to this
difficult-to-treat disease. Treatment usually involves long courses of multiple
antibiotics.
(Interview in Chinese) Lai (m): Many people are infected with this kind of disease. Most TB cases are found in developing countries. In underdeveloped countries, the situation is even worse. In fact, more than 90% of tuberculosis patients live in very poor countries.
To
prevent unnecessary suffering and death, it is important to diagnose tuberculosis at an early stage and give proper treatment to
patients. Unfortunately, all current methods of diagnosing tuberculosis have some drawbacks; they are either
time-consuming, expensive, or nonspecific, which are especially detrimental to
the people in poorer countries. This motivated Dr. Lai Hsin-Chih, Chair of the Department
of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science at the Chang Gung University in
Formosa (Taiwan), to
develop a more efficient and affordable TB test method. His invention is called
the TB Test Strip.
We are entering the holy and joyful month of Ramadan, observed by
millions of Muslims around the world. It is the special month when the Holy
Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.Ramadan is rich with multiple meanings, as
explained by our Muslim friends from Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
(In Arabic) Muslimfather 1(m): The fasting month is the one in which its first part is for mercy. The second, The second is for forgiveness. And the third is for getting free from hell.
(In Arabic) Muslimfather 2(m): In the name of God, blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of God. Ramadan is the only month in the year that has good deeds and blessings. The role of the Muslim is in the “night getting up” and fasting. That is, fasting during the day, getting up at night and reading the Qur’an.
HOST: Loved the world over, Mr. Charles Segal is one of the most accomplished musicians on Earth! He has produced an amazingly large volume of original works – over 1,500 songs and musical pieces! Mr. Segal is also the featured artist on more than 200 albums.
(Interview in English) Segal (m): My mother was a mandolin player. And you know what a mandolin is like? A violin. And she instilled music into me. And they used to call me “Pint of Musica.” (NFT: pint is a small unit of volume, can refer to a small child) And I learned music and I started, I loved it so much. Even now, I mean, I’m absolutely crazy about it.
HOST: Born in Lithuania, Charles Segal was raised in South Africa, where he became a celebrity pianist. As early as 1973, he became the winner of the South Africa Record Industry (SARI) Award, a prestige equivalent to the US-based Grammy Award. He moved to the United States in 1980s and remains to be a most recorded pianist till the present. Continuously renewing his artistry for over half a century, Mr. Segal is an extremely versatile musician with a breadth and depth as rich as his life experiences.
HOST(IN KHMER): Hallo, friendly viewers, and welcome to Good People, Good Works on Supreme Master Television. Today’s program features the first of a two-part series that profiles Angkor Hospital for Children, a full-service pediatric hospital based in Siem Reap, Cambodia that provides compassionate charity medical care to the youngsters of the local community and neighboring provinces.
The hospital was established in １９９９ by internationally acclaimed photographer Kenro Izu who travels the world taking images of sacred sites – from the pyramids of Egypt to the Caves of the １０,０００ Buddhas in western China.
Besides providing quality pediatric care, the facility also serves as a clinical training center for Cambodian medical professionals. Ms. Sinketh Arun, Angkor Hospital for Children’s Director of Public Relations now speaks about Mr. Izu and why he founded the facility.
Ms. Arun (f): First I would like to thank Supreme Master TV for giving us the opportunity to give the information about the hospital. Angkor Hospital for Children was started by a Japanese photographer; his name is Kenro Izu.
He first came to Cambodia during １９９３. And the first time he came, he spent time doing his photography at the Angkor Wat Temple and then he met with many children at that time.
Ms. Arun (f): And some children were sick and it seemed like the children didn’t have very good care or any medical care from any medical facility in Siem Reap during that time.
HOST: When Mr. Izu returned to Cambodia to take photographs a year later, he went to the provincial hospital in Siem Reap to learn more about the health services available to the local children. Ms. Arun (f): And then he spent time visiting the provincial hospital. And then he found a child with her father from the countryside, and the child was sick with a serious condition.
The child was brought by the father to the provincial hospital, but at that time the medical facility was not so good. And then one day later, the child died during his visit.
He heard the story about the child dying and he was moved by the story of that child, and he decided to do something for the Cambodians.
For more details on Angkor Hospital for Children, please visit www.AngkorHospital.org To learn more about Friends Without Border, please visit www.FWAB.org
HOST : Circus animals lead agonizingly cruel and stressful lives, being confined to small cages and constantly transported thousands of miles from city to city.
Life on the road does not provide them an opportunity to have adequate food, water, exercise and veterinary care. Indeed, most circuses operate for nearly fifty weeks of the year; with the weather varying from extremely hot to freezing cold. The animals re usually transported in the backs of trucks with barely enough room to move.
Lacking social interaction, mental stimulation and physical exercise, these animals often go insane with boredom and exhibit behaviors typically seen in abused animals such as head rocking, repetitive movements and chewing their own limbs. They often fall sick due to unhygienic conditions and lack of exercise.
HOST : Welcome, noble viewers. In ２００９, to stop the cruelty involved in animal circuses, Bolivia banned the use of all wild and domesticated animals in traveling circuses.
Wild animals or certain species have already been prohibited in circuses in Austria, Costa Rica, Croatia, Israel, Singapore, Finland and Denmark. Bolivia distinguished herself as the first to ban both wild and domestic animals from circuses.
Ms. Ana Serrano Robollo, co-founder and president of 『Love for the Animals - Bolivia』 was a co-author of the law. She had initiated the campaign for the decision, with the support of The Honorable Ximena Flores, Member of the Bolivian Congress, and UK-based animal protection group Animal Defenders International.
John Carver (m): I was originally inspired to do the trip by the possibility I have as a school teacher, I have this wonderful eight weeks summer holiday, and I knew with a flying bike adventure like this I’d be at the mercy of the weather, and I thought I need a decent period of time, perhaps a month in order to do this trip.
HOST: Cordial viewers, halo and welcome to Golden Age Technology on Supreme Master Television. Today we visit England to meet an extraordinary man who undertook a fantastic journey spanning the length of the United Kingdom on a Flyke, or flying bicycle. John Carver is just an everyday Englishman: a ３７ year-old Information Technology teacher at Cothill House School in Oxford with a passion for flying. He is diabetic and was looking for a way to support research seeking a cure for childhood diabetes.
Mr. Carver then came up with a unique fundraising idea; a venture that had never been attempted before on a Flyke. He decided to fly and ride his three-wheeled flying bicycle the entire length of the United Kingdom, from the south of England to the northern tip of Scotland.
For more details on John Carver, please visit www.FlyBike.co.uk For information on the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, please visit www.JDRF.org.uk
Africa's growing humanitarian threat due to climate change. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the once-vast Lake Chad, has shrunk 90% over the past four decades, threatening the lives of up to 30 million people with hunger, conflict, and migration.
Residing in an area that forms a natural border for the countries of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, the surface area of the lake has gone from 25,000 square kilometers in 1960 to just 2,500 today, according to the Chadian government, which will be hosting the 8th World Forum for Sustainable Development in October with a theme of “Saving Lake Chad.”
Canadian Parliament Member Glen Pearson, who has been working to help Sudanese refugees since 1998, has been calling for climate change mitigation to prevent a large humanitarian catastrophe in the Lake Chad and other African regions.
With the support of the Canadian government, Mr. Pearson was among the first to assist the refugees emerging from the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, another region afflicted by water shortage, adopting three Sudanese orphans.
Glen Pearson – Canadian Member of Parliament, humanitarian, vegetarian (M): The people who are coming out of Darfur into the area in which we work, they're not complaining so much about the political situation. They complain that they can't find water. Lake Chad has dried up.
Just since we’ve started going there in 1998, the wells are now about six feet lower than they were before. Much of that water is polluted now, because the cattle come into the rivers.The rains are coming far later.
VOICE: According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), half of Lake Chad's shrinkage is due to climate change, and the other half by agricultural abuses including livestock overgrazing and unsustainable irrigation. With acute hunger already a serious problem in Chad and Niger, Mr. Pearson, a caring vegetarian, cautioned that the possibility of hundreds of millions of environmental refugees in Africa and beyond must be prevented through efforts to stop climate change, with the United Nations also urging better water management.
Glen Pearson (M): Not just in Africa but in Asia, over 200 million people will be traveling, moving. They are not going to know where the borders are. It doesn’t matter if I help them catch rain off of the roof, if, on the other hand, I am polluting into my own country, when it’s the people in Africa who suffer from me doing it.
If I really believe in helping the people of Africa, I will stop pumping carbon into the air because that’s the place where it affects the most; because in the end, that climate change will produce 230 million refugees and I am really scared about that.
VOICE: We appreciate Member of Parliament Glen Pearson, Canada and United Nations agencies, for your concerned wish to assist the African people. We pray that through such concerted actions to alleviate global warming and stabilize the environment, precious waters like Lake Chad may be restored.
Supreme Master Ching Hai has often reminded of the changes necessary for averting climate change and humanitarian crises, as in a September 2009 climate change videoconference in Peru.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Some countries and communities have to cope with worsened drought situations. Their rivers and lakes are drying up or completely gone. So how can we handle the mass migration of tens of millions of people all at once due to desertification, the rising sea levels or the permanent loss of crop fields?
The smartest way would be to stop the worsening of global warming by being vegan. It sounds very simple but it is the best solution, the most effective and the effect of it will be felt almost immediately.
Massive ice chunks separate from Tasman glacier. As up to 50 million tons of ice separated from the Tasman Glacier in southern New Zealand, around 20 icebergs suddenly appeared on the surface of Tasman Lake, located at the foot of the glacier. This was the biggest calving in the history of the lake, which formed around 1973 as a result of global warming.
Researcher Dr. Martin Brook, a lecturer in physical geography at Australia’s Massey University, has forecast along with Dr. Martin Kirkbride that the glacier would disappear within a couple of decades.
This is due in part to the existence of the lake, which speeds the melting of ice beneath the water’s surface. The scientists have also warned that calving events such as the one that just occurred could be dangerous due to potentially immense icebergs that could suddenly appear while tourist boats are traveling across the glacial lake.
Our appreciation, Drs. Brook, Kirkbride and associates, for your concerned alert about the quickly deteriorating state of the Tasman and other glaciers. We pray that such anomalies of nature are curbed through our striving to restore Earthly balance. As on previous occasions, Supreme Master Ching Hai spoke during a November 2009 videoconference in Washington, DC, USA about the urgently needed actions to halt the alarming melt of glaciers throughout the world.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Glaciers across the globe are shrinking more quickly than researchers ever expected, leaving rivers and lakes gone, disappearing or drying, with no water for crops and billions who face food shortages due to water shortages, as well.
You may ask, what is the main cause of this damage and destruction to the environment? Perhaps surprisingly, it’s not the coal industry or cars or planes or trains or boats or ships.
It’s methane, which is produced primarily by the livestock industry. So, to solve this, we do need to move quickly, and be vegan. There is an advantage of time here, because one aspect of methane is that it dissipates in around 12 years’ time, whereas carbon dioxide, CO2, stays in the atmosphere for up to thousands of years. So, we remove the livestock-generated methane, and the planet cools fast!
Mongolian leaders meet in Gobi Desert to call attention to climate change. Twelve Mongolian officials journeyed 15 hours to hold a cabinet meeting specifically in a part of the Gobi Desert that used to be arable land in the hope of raising awareness of the urgency of global warming for the upcoming climate summit in Mexico this December.
Along with the other cabinet members, all of whom were wearing caps that said “Save Our Planet,” Prime Minister Batbold Sukhbaatar highlighted the significant effects of climate change in Mongolia, including record cold weather this past winter along with overall decreased rainfall, and desertification that now affects 70% of Mongolian land.
He stated, "Five years ago, there used to grow many edible plants in this valley and there were fewer sand dunes. Now look here. The valley is completely covered with sand. The sand dunes are moving and taking more space each year." According to Mongolia’s National Agency for Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment Monitoring, the nation’s worsening desertification has been most steeply aggravated by livestock grazing, followed by erosion from tilling the soil for agriculture as well as deforestation.
Our admiring accolades, Your Excellencies, for your committed voice in calling for action to halt the march of climate change. May leaders worldwide swiftly recognize the need to end such detrimental practices as livestock raising in favor of organically grown plant-based fare to indeed save our planet for all beings.
The town of Carolina Beach in North Carolina, USA is planting sea oats along coastal sand dunes as a protection against storm surges, with private land owners being encouraged to join in the effort. http://www.wect.com/Global/story.asp?S=13053332
With the US combat operations in Iraq officially ended as of Tuesday, August 31, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki spoke optimistically about the future of his country as he highlighted the freedom of Iraqis in being able to draw their own future.
He also emphasized the importance of working together to create a stable society as he marked the occasion by stating, “It's a day that Iraq gained back its sovereignty …I promise you the sectarian war will not return. We will not allow it. Iraqis will live as loving brothers.”
US President Barack Obama also spoke in acknowledgement of the human and financial tolls of conflict as he paid tribute to both the fallen and returning soldiers.
Obama:Two weeks ago, America’s final combat brigade in Iraq journeyed home in the pre-dawn darkness. Over seven years before, American troops and coalition partners had fought their way across similar highways, but this time no shots were fired. It was just a convoy of brave Americans, making their way home.
Of course, the soldiers left much behind. Some were teenagers when the war began. Many have served multiple tours of duty, far from families who bore a heroic burden of their own, enduring the absence of a husband’s embrace or a mother’s kiss.
Our respectful congratulations, Iraq and United States, for these decisions in favor of diplomacy and emerging peace. A big welcome home to the returning US troops as we send our best wishes for the flourishing and unified future of the warmhearted Iraqi people.
2010 is the hottest year on record so far. This year is already on track to being the hottest in recorded history, according to climate scientists at the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
With July temperatures being reported as the second highest in history, the months of March, April, May, and June were each reported as the highest ever on record.
David Easterling of NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center also noted the unusual finding in June that land masses across the entire globe were warm.
Moreover, 17 countries, comprising 19% of the Earth’s total land area and including northern nations such as Finland and Russia, have set new records for the most oppressive heat.
This is the largest surface area of the planet to be experiencing such unprecedented temperatures in the same year. Remarking on these alarming numbers, Dr. Mark Serreze, Director of the US National Snow and Ice Data Center stated, “The point of the matter is that global warming has not stopped.”
Kevin Trenberth, head of the climate analysis section at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), further warned that in such conditions, we should prepare for increased tropical storms, saying, “The last time it was this warm was when we had the record-breaking hurricane season that led to Katrina and Rita, and we ran out of alphabet (characters).
This year the temperatures in the Atlantic are higher than they were in 2005.” Thank you all researchers and scientists for your detailed efforts to factually document the climate changes of our planet.
We pray that we may stop this dangerous cycle with our every effort to shift towards sustainable living. During a November 2009 videoconference in Mexico, Supreme Master Ching Hai spoke of such adverse global warming effects as temperature increases, highlighting at the same time an effective and swift way to reverse them.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Some of the global warming effects that we hear about are a continued rise in the Earth’s atmospheric temperature, warming of the ocean, along with acidification, more frequent and stronger storms, prolonged droughts and intensified heat waves, soil desertification, plant and animal extinctions, and even melting of permafrost, which could trigger massive releases of more methane gas! That would be catastrophic beyond an unthinkable scale.
But the livestock , that is the number one source of global warming worldwide; and methane is the primary greenhouse gas generated by livestock.
So, I repeat: The number one source of global warming is from our consumption – killing of all the cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, eggs, dairy. According to calculations they performed, they concluded that eating a vegan diet for a year is more effective at cooling the planet than driving a hybrid vehicle for the same period of time.
Another good news about this simple dietary solution is that methane, as a greenhouse gas, also dissipates quickly from the atmosphere. So, eliminating livestock production as this major source of methane is thus one of the fastest ways to cool our planet.
Environmental officials in India turn down a bauxite mining proposal by UK-based Vedanta Resources for the Niyamgiri Hills of Orissa state, saying that it could harm the environment and the mountains, which are sacred to indigenous Kondh Primitive Tribal Groups.
Noise pollution imperils tropical fish. A recent study by Dr. Steve Simpson and team from the United Kingdom’s University of Bristol working at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, has shown that noise pollution can influence the judgment of young fish, leading them away from the protection offered by their natural habitats.
The team built on previous findings that baby tropical fish born at sea are able to return to protective coral reefs based on sounds that are emitted from reef- dwelling organisms.
The scientists thus introduced one group of baby damselfish to natural reef sounds only and another to a combination of synthesized tones. Placing the fish the following day into tube-shaped tanks that offered a choice of direction, they observed that only the group with direct experience ofthe natural sounds swam toward the reef; the other group was actually repelled and would swim away.
Besides highlighting the grave danger to young fish, who might mistakenly follow a ship out to sea rather than traveling to where they could grow in safety, this study also clearly demonstrates the persistent memory of fish in recalling events from the day before.
Dr. Simpson’s team recommended more stringent laws to protect reef areas from noise as well as interim technologies such as “bubble curtains” in certain regions to create insulation from potentially dangerous sounds.
Many thanks Dr. Simpson and University of Bristol colleagues for these findings that highlight both the intelligence and sensitivity of our aquatic co-inhabitants.
May we act responsibly and with respect to protect their lives and the ecosystems that are vital to our own survival. Supreme Master Ching Hai has many times reminded of the unconditional love and necessary balance offered by our fellow beings in all corners of the Earth, as during the following August 2009 videoconference in Thailand.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: The animals are truly noble, gentle beings, selfless, and in harmony with one another, the environment, and with Heaven. Their role has always been since time immemorial to bring love and blessing to the world with their pure presence. If we would only stop harming and torturing them and killing them, and give them a chance to fulfill their God-given mission, then our planet will be saved and will be kept in splendor.
They wait on the sidelines in full support of humans, for the day they can be our friends again, truly, not our victims. On that day of peacemaking between humans and animals, our eyes may begin to be opened to our co-inhabitants’ true magnificent roles on Earth.
Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association relief news update from Pakistan. Excessive monsoon rains caused the Indus River to overflow from the north to the south of Pakistan, claiming at least 1,600 lives along the way and destroying 1.2 million homes. As native and international aid workers have been mobilizing to respond, recent new waves of flooding have overwhelmed efforts, with hundreds of thousands more people displaced in different locales. The continued devastation over the past month has left 8 million people nationwide still in need of emergency aid.
Shamim Bibi – Survivor (M): We walked and swam through the flood waters with little children who didn't realize what was happening. Here in the camp, things are difficult. Our children are unwell. They used to go to school, and they are not happy here. We are all very worried. Our men who used to work in the fields are also very worried.
VOICE: With already limited clean water supplies further contaminated by broken sewer lines, cases of diarrhea have begun to emerge, with conditions worsened by the fact that hundreds of health facilities have been damaged. Over 3.5 million children are at urgent risk of contracting waterborne disease and 72,000 are at high risk of losing their lives.
Khalid Mashovi – KTN National TV news journalist, Pakistan (M): People are disturbed by many diseases, and many problems. There is no light, there is no water, there are no good situations for the residents.
VOICE: With deep concern, Supreme Master Ching Hai had donated a total of US$115,000 in urgent assistance for the Pakistani flood victims while asking our Association members with medical training to go and help, and for tents to be provided to shelter the weak and vulnerable.
With additional contributions from our worldwide Association members, the combined US$140,000 in aid could obtain approximately US$2.5 million in materials in the United States, based on Pakistan’s cost of living. Covering their own travel and related expenses, our Association’s relief teams from Formosa (Taiwan) and Indonesia have been bringing food and other supplies.
In the stricken south, hundreds of affected residents have been receiving medical care from our Association’s relief team, who wrote the following report per Supreme Master Ching Hai’s request for updates.August 2010
Re: Flood relief in Sindh, Pakistan Most Compassionate Master, We set up the medical tent at a government-run local school, and immediately many people greeted us and wanted our services. There were many cases of diarrhea with dehydration, skin diseases and some respiratory infection, and some of the young infants appeared quite ill as they had traveled long distances under the sun.
These were the lucky ones already as they got good shelter and clean water in the facility. We were very happy to see improvement shortly after they received medicine from us and we managed to see everyone who stood in line. The next day, we continued with our work, but this time a lot of these patients were more than eager to see us as many of them had heard that our medicine seemed to be very effective.
As more supplies came in, we were able to distribute more vitamins to the children and pregnant women. Toothbrushes and toothpaste were also in great demand.
We distributed SOS flyers and booklets also, which were treasured along with everything we gave them. During the medical treatment, Pakistan’s national TV station KTN News came and expressed appreciation for our activities. Thank you, Master, for your boundless love. Relief team in Pakistan
Khalid Mashovi – KTN National TV news journalist, Pakistan (M): Knowing about your camp, we see your doctor's cooperation with the people. They and their team are doing very good work. We are thankful to Supreme Master Ching Hai.
VOICE: Our gratefulness goes to Supreme Master Ching Hai for allowing us to bring these details to our viewers, as well as our Association’s Foreign Group for sharing this report.
With appreciation to the Pakistani government, media, and rescuers for their efforts and support of international teams, we also join in thanking Supreme Master Ching Hai for her loving care extended to the Pakistani people and for the caring efforts of our Association's relief teams.
Our prayers for the renewed stability of the afflicted and that such disasters will cease through our improved treatment of living beings and the environment.
Massive ice chunks separate from Tasman glacier. As up to 50 million tons of ice separated from the Tasman Glacier in southern New Zealand, around 20 icebergs suddenly appeared on the surface of Tasman Lake, located at the foot of the glacier. This was the biggest calving in the history of the lake, which formed around 1973 as a result of global warming.
Researcher Dr. Martin Brook, a lecturer in physical geography at Australia’s Massey University, has forecast along with Dr. Martin Kirkbride that the glacier would disappear within a couple of decades.
This is due in part to the existence of the lake, which speeds the melting of ice beneath the water’s surface. The scientists have also warned that calving events such as the one that just occurred could be dangerous due to potentially immense icebergs that could suddenly appear while tourist boats are traveling across the glacial lake.
Our appreciation, Drs. Brook, Kirkbride and associates, for your concerned alert about the quickly deteriorating state of the Tasman and other glaciers. We pray that such anomalies of nature are curbed through our striving to restore Earthly balance. As on previous occasions, Supreme Master Ching Hai spoke during a November 2009 videoconference in Washington, DC, USA about the urgently needed actions to halt the alarming melt of glaciers throughout the world.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Glaciers across the globe are shrinking more quickly than researchers ever expected, leaving rivers and lakes gone, disappearing or drying, with no water for crops and billions who face food shortages due to water shortages, as well.
You may ask, what is the main cause of this damage and destruction to the environment? Perhaps surprisingly, it’s not the coal industry or cars or planes or trains or boats or ships.
It’s methane, which is produced primarily by the livestock industry. So, to solve this, we do need to move quickly, and be vegan. There is an advantage of time here, because one aspect of methane is that it dissipates in around 12 years’ time, whereas carbon dioxide, CO2, stays in the atmosphere for up to thousands of years. So, we remove the livestock-generated methane, and the planet cools fast!
Mongolian leaders meet in Gobi Desert to call attention to climate change. Twelve Mongolian officials journeyed 15 hours to hold a cabinet meeting specifically in a part of the Gobi Desert that used to be arable land in the hope of raising awareness of the urgency of global warming for the upcoming climate summit in Mexico this December.
Along with the other cabinet members, all of whom were wearing caps that said “Save Our Planet,” Prime Minister Batbold Sukhbaatar highlighted the significant effects of climate change in Mongolia, including record cold weather this past winter along with overall decreased rainfall, and desertification that now affects 70% of Mongolian land.
He stated, "Five years ago, there used to grow many edible plants in this valley and there were fewer sand dunes. Now look here. The valley is completely covered with sand. The sand dunes are moving and taking more space each year." According to Mongolia’s National Agency for Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment Monitoring, the nation’s worsening desertification has been most steeply aggravated by livestock grazing, followed by erosion from tilling the soil for agriculture as well as deforestation.
Our admiring accolades, Your Excellencies, for your committed voice in calling for action to halt the march of climate change. May leaders worldwide swiftly recognize the need to end such detrimental practices as livestock raising in favor of organically grown plant-based fare to indeed save our planet for all beings.
The town of Carolina Beach in North Carolina, USA is planting sea oats along coastal sand dunes as a protection against storm surges, with private land owners being encouraged to join in the effort. http://www.wect.com/Global/story.asp?S=13053332
Water scarcities emerge in Middle East, southwestern USA and northern Mexico. With a combination of over-use and growing climate change effects causing the Jordan River to dwindle to a trickle, people in Syria, Israel and Jordan are suffering as their governments debate water rights.
Residents of Jordan often have the resource available only twice a week. Director of environmental organization Friends of the Earth Middle East, Gidon Bromberg, stated, “The river's almost been destroyed because of the ...competition.”
Meanwhile, Lake Mead, which provides water to northern Mexico and the southwestern US states of Arizona, Nevada and California, has declined to 40% of capacity, the lowest since the reservoir was created in the 1930s.
Having just endured an 11-year drought, the lake dropped another 15 feet in the past five months. US scientist and Lake Mead expert Dr. Tim Barnett, who forecast two years ago that the giant reservoir could run dry by 2021, stated, "It's a clear warning." Our appreciation, Mr. Bromberg, Dr. Barnett and colleagues for your work in alerting us to alarming scarcity of water across the globe. Let us join in quickly adopting more conserving and considerate practices as we also strive for planet-cooling measures to reverse climate change.
During an August 2009 videoconference in Thailand, Supreme Master China Hai spoke with concern over such crises, highlighting the importance of more conscientious stewardship of our world’s limited resources.
Supreme Master China Hai: We have over six billion people in this world and the sources of groundwater for wells, which supports half of our world population, are dying, drying up.
And the top ten global river systems, drying or ebbing away. And three billion people are short of water. How many more, I don’t know, how many more of suffering people are we waiting before we take action? Please do it now! Just be veg.
Stop the meat, dairy, fish industry. Be benevolent. Create a merciful energy that will envelop our world, that will emit mercy, love, protection for us and our children on this planet. Please take action now. Very simple. Just be veg.
A group of five horse-riding girls from Delaware, USA, who have dubbed themselves “The Sweet Meadow Stable 2010 Rescue Team,” has successfully rescued five-year-old Rosco from being sold to a slaughterhouse for meat.
They did this by raising over US$1,000 through bake sales, baby-sitting, business sponsorships and other activities. Speaking of their new equine friend Rosco, 13-year-old Peyton Carter said, “He turned out to be the most wonderful horse.”
With help from their horse-riding teacher and owner of Sweet Meadow Stables, Ms. Shelley Wright-Estevam, who herself has rescued 20 horses over the past 10 years, the girls plan to continue their fund-raising efforts in the hope of purchasing and rescuing more horses.
Kudos and bravo, all five young heroines and Ms. Wright-Estevam, for your noble efforts that give horses like Rosco another chance to live and love.
